Process of manufacturing stockings



J. E. QUINN.

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURINGVSTOCKINGS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13. 1917.

Patented May 13, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1. E. QUINN.

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING SIOCKINGS.

APPLICATION men MAR.13. 1911.

1,303,593. Patented May13, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. E; QUINN. PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING STOCKINGS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13. 19!].

Patented May 13, 1919.

. w. 4 Hm .rSm .Eozn b.5525: F25 .Ei i=8: v23 .Eam v23 W U u WWW Y I H .m .m .m w J R KN Q E W J J W M W fi W w b rs-3.13am: Z02 is. 5.21.2.9: E: 5: [NE m m y Q, 1 1 m m E 2 u M 5 MW 5 3 3 1n lid To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

iT EDWARD QUINN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING STOCKINGS.

Be it known that 1, JOHN E. QUINN, a

citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented" Processes of Manufacturing Stockings, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of stockings, and has for its object improvement of the process of manufacturing what is commonly'known as mock-fashioned stockings.

My invention lies in the use of certain guide stitches, placedin the stocking .during the normal knitting operation, whereby the exact amount and location of the material to be cut away in shaping the leg will be clearly marked. This not only elimmate the necessity for boarding the stocking preparatory to cutting away the leg portion, but also makes that operation more rapid and insures accuracy, with the consequent avoidance of seconds and a saving in both time and expense.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of so much of a circular stocking machine of the Banner type, as is necessary to an understandingof my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the machine on the line 22, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a developed view of the cam ring, showing the positions of the various needles;

Fig. 4 is a view in section on the line 4-4, Fig. 3, showing means whereby the cams are raised to needle operating positions;

Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are views showing the various needles; I

Fig. 9 is a view in-reair elevation showing the stocking with the central guide stitch and the two side marker stitches;

Fig. 10 is a view in side elevatio'nof a portion of the stocking showing the location of the side marker stitch;

Specification of Letters Patent. 'Patented May 13, 1919.

Application filed March 13, 1917. Serial No. 154,495.

stitch or mock seam will answer the purpose. a

The stocking blank is knit complete in one continuousoperation on 2a full-automatic'machine and the guide and marker stitches placed inthe stocking as it is knit.

The arrangement of machine parts whereby this maybe accomplished is clearly-shown in the drawings.

1 is the needle cylinder, 2 the cam ring of a stocking lmitting machine of the Banner yp tuck stitch .in the stocking, this tuck stitching device being old and well known in the art. In the present. instance the cam 3, cooperating with the various needles, isad-a'pted to form the center guide stitch and the side marker stitches already referred to. In placing the central stitch a the long latch, short mediumbutt needle 4, shown in Fig. 7, is employed. This needle 4 is located, as shown in Fig. 3, at the center of the set of short butt needles in the needle cylinder. During the knitting of the leg the cam 3 is held down in the position it occupies in the .dnawings while the series of short butt needles ispassing by except on alternate revolutions of the cylinder, when it is raised. That is to say, during one revolution of the needle cylinder the em 3 is held down, but during the succeeding revolution it is held elevated during the time that the short butt (and the long and short medium butt which are interspersed with the short butt) needle series is passing its position.

When the cam 3 is in the elevated position, the needle 4 rides up over the cam and casts the stitches in the usual way but when At 3 is shown a cam for placing a cam shaft 18. The cam plate 17 canrles the cam 19,

pivoted at 8 on the shaft 9, which shaft carries a lever 10 bearing a roller 11. The roller 11 is adapted to cooperate with the cam segments 12 and 13 in rocking the shaft 9 and the lex er 7 and so raising-the cam 3 at the proper intervals. The lever arm"7 integral wlth the arm 7, has attached the rod 14, which connects with the lever 15, pivoted at 16 and having its free end adapted to coo erate with the outer surface'of the plate 17, carried on the attern drum which contacts with and raises the free end of the lever. 15 at the point in the knitting process at which it is desired to stop the formation of the central guide stitch a. When the cam 19 meets the lever 15, the cam 3 is raised and held in the elevated position, which causes the long latch needle 4 to operate in the manner of the regular short latch needles in the normal stocking knitting operation. The cam 19 will contact with the lever 15 when the knitting has progressed to a point just above the beginning of the heel.

At 20 is shown a cam which operates in conjunction with the cam 3 and the needles 55 to place the side marker stitches bb in the stocking. The construction of the cam 20 is similar to that o cam 3 withthe exception that it has, cut in its face, the channel 21, which is deep enough to allow the long latch, short medium butt needle 4 to pass through but not so deep as to allow the long latch, long medium butt needles 55, which are forced to ride over the top of the cam. This channel; is necessitated by the fact that in the knitting of the central guide stitch a, the needle 4 must be operated to cast its stitches by the cam '3, only,

which controls that operation. The needles 55, however, are forced over the cam 20 which causes them to knitin the same manner as the short latch needles in thenormal knitting of the stocking. When, however, the cam 20 is held down, in the position similar to that of cam 3 in the drawings, the needles 55 will be operated in a manner exactly similar to that of needle 4 and by the same cam 3, to form the tuck stitches bb. The cam 20 is, therefore, held elevated until the point is reached where it is desired to begin the stitches bb, when it ment to startthe marker stitches bb, and will elevate the lever when it is desired to end them, holding it thus until the proper time for dropping the cam 20 has again arrived. I

The operations which follow the removal of the stocking from the machine are well known to those acquainted with the art. In the present case it is only necessary to fold the stocking at'the central stitch a and cut away the stocking at the rear to the depth of the side marker stitches. The stocking is then welted at the top and pressed, which completes the operation.

In Fig. 11 is shown a modification of the central guide stitch a, it being, in this case, started at a point near the middle of the calf so that the mock seam is the exact length of the portion of the stocking to be cut away, in shaping the leg.

The completed stocking is of a very desirable form, having a shaped leg and a seamless foot. The lnvention, however, resides in the use of the guides at the back and sides, whereby the completed stocking is obtained with the minimum number of operations and with comparative speed and accuracy.

Having described my process and the machinery whereby it may be carried out,

I claim:

1. The process of forming a stocking which consists in knitting the stocking with markerstitches on opposite sides of the cen ter of the back; folding the stocking along the center of the back from the top to the heel; cutting away a portion of the stocking at the back thereof to a depth indicated by the marker stitches to shape the leg; and stitching the cutting edges to form a mock fashioned stocking.

2. The process of forming a stocking consisting in knitting the stocking with a guide stitch extending down the center of the back to a point near the heel; a marker stitch at the side of the central stitch, for indicat .ing the depth of cut; folding the stocking at the central stitch; cutting away a portion of thestocking at the back to a depth indicated by the side marker stitch, to shape the leg; and stitching the cut edges to form a mock fashioned stocking.

3. The process of forming a stocking con- 'sisting in knitting the stocking with a guide stitch extending down the center of the back from a' point near the middle of the calf to a point short of the heel and a marker stitch at each side of the central stitch for indicating the depth of cut; folding the stocking at the central stitch; cuttin away that portion of the leg at the bacr over which thecentral stitch extends to a depth indicated by the side markerstitches; and

neeetee i 3 fashioned steckmg. I guide stitch; cutting away a portion of the Qt; The process of forming a stocking stcching to e depth indicated by the side 10 which consists in knitting the stocking With marker stitch to shape the leg; and stltching stitching the cut edges te term e meckdiepthiei cut; folding-the stecfing at the e guide stitch extending down to e point the cut edges to term a mock fashioned].

new: the heel and with a mei'ker stitch til the 'stecking. tide et seici first stitch for indicating the JOHN EDWARD QUINN, 

